On the fourth day of Tet, Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien) in Ho Chi Minh City became the top choice for many residents and tourists on their festive outings. However, the surge in passenger numbers at Ben Thanh Station led to overcrowding, despite operating 160 trains throughout the day.
Thousands of people flooded Ben Thanh Station in the morning, causing ticket counters to be constantly crowded.
Overcrowding at Ben Thanh Station
At the ticket counters, scenes of congestion and pushing were common. Long queues of passengers filled the station hallways as they waited to purchase tickets. Most passengers had to wait between 30 to 45 minutes to buy their tickets. Some expressed frustration due to the prolonged wait times.
Mr. Amin (62 years old, from Malaysia) shared: “I was surprised by the number of people using the train today. I waited over 45 minutes but still couldn’t buy tickets for myself and my wife. The lines were too long, and I don’t know when we’ll finally get on the train.”
Many elderly people had to sit on the floor due to exhaustion after waiting for a long time.
Ms. Tam (65 years old), another passenger, also expressed her fatigue: “Being older and weaker, I sat outside while my daughter waited in line to buy tickets. After nearly an hour, she still hadn’t returned.”
Pressure at Ticket Gates and Train Carriages
The congestion wasn’t limited to the ticket counters; ticket gates also saw long lines of people waiting to enter. Many staff members were deployed to assist passengers, working at full capacity to reduce bottlenecks within the station.
Ticket gates were packed with people waiting to enter the station.
Despite running 160 trains that day, each carriage was packed with passengers. The arrival and departure areas at Ben Thanh Station were jam-packed every time a train arrived. Both the morning and evening rush from Thu Duc to Ben Thanh were fully occupied.
Reasons for the Sudden Increase in Passenger Numbers
Most passengers using this line came from nearby provinces. They took advantage of the Tet holiday to experience Ho Chi Minh City’s first metro line. Ms. Duong (23 years old) shared: “I chose to use the metro for my Tet outing because I thought it would be less crowded than the first few days of the year. Little did I know how many people would come here today.”
The motorbike parking area near Ben Thanh Station was also overloaded, causing traffic jams on Le Lai Street.
By noon, the situation worsened when the metro announced a temporary halt for maintenance. This caused even more congestion, with people waiting nearly an hour to enter the station and longer still before boarding a train.
Conclusion
Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien) has demonstrated its crucial role in serving the travel needs of residents and tourists during Tet. However, the overwhelming crowds on peak days like Tet’s fourth day highlight the need for better management and system upgrades. To prevent similar issues in the future, there should be improved coordination among public transportation options and enhanced service capabilities during holidays.
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Each carriage was fully occupied on Tet’s fourth day.
